Iridescent

The Beginning

Slowly, I breathe in and out whilst closing my eyes. With concentration I open my mind to familiar emotions such as anger, sadness, and agitation. They all bounce on the walls I've built like pesky flies. Even though the turmoil develops bruises on my skin, it isn't mine. I let the emotions slip past my walls and settle into my bones like a mother bird settles into her nest.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and I open my eyes to see my parents looking down on me and smiling with temporary peace in their hearts. I look down on my arms and see a row of circular bruises along them and if I checked, along my legs, too. This is the price I pay for giving calm away. Looking back up at my parents, I wait for one of them to say something.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?" asks my father, a small man of 5'5 with thinning black hair. I don't know what I'd been expecting him to say. Maybe a thank you or a question on where all the bruises came from, I guess.

"No reason I just felt the need to meditate." I say calmly, "Y'know, let my mind be free of subconscious influence."

"Sounds like sleeping or taking a shit," he says brashly. Uncrossing my legs, I stand up and walk to the kitchen hoping for some food.

"Where are you going? You better not be going to see no boy!" My mother has this inane fear that I'm going to get pregnant, drop out of high school, start working at McDonalds, and live at home until I'm thirty. The reason this fear is completely uncalled for is because I have straight A's, a job at Wal-Mart, and I've never had a boyfriend in my life. As for living with them until I'm thirty, I'm already looking for an apartment.

"I'm going to the kitchen to look for food to eat." I say in a monotone, hoping to keep my mother from going back to screaming.

"Don't sass me. You know I hate snide comments," mother runs her baby blue nails through her short, auburn curls. "'Sides, we ain't got no food."

"Okay." I say and go to my room to get my shoes and some money. "Can I go to the store?" I don't receive an answer because my mom and dad have already moved into the other room.

After I've put on my shoes I stand next to the door, marveling at the lack of noise. It was only a minute ago that my parents were arguing over whose turn it was to cut the grass. Now that I gave them some calm it seems that they've forgotten it. Of course it only seems that way, in reality I'm getting new bruises on my arms and legs because their emotions are still under the calm surface, held in check only by my presence. Sometimes I wish they knew what I did but then I realize it would just get complicated. It's not as if I take away pain or a person's experience, I simply soothe their negative feelings. In return I get physical pain and bruises on my body and I feel the individual's emotional pain.

I breathe in the outdoor air, relishing in the simple fact that the birds chirp in trees and dogs bark behind fences. My long, turquoise and silver colored skirt swishes against my legs in a flowing manner as I head towards the store unaware of what's to come.
♥
"Thank you." Picking up the grocery bags I smile at the cashier. The cashier looks at me in a bored manner and I can't help but take away the secret hurt that is hidden deep in her heart and yet another bruise appears on my leg. I feel it forming and just as I walk out the front doors I run into a wall.

Dropping both bags of groceries I rub my nose and look up and up and up into hazel eyes. The first thing I feel is the strangers annoyance at something and then I start to notice a deeper pain hidden behind the surface emotions.

Snapping out of my trance I say apologetically, "I'm sorry.. I wasn't watching where I was going."

While I speak his hazel eyes never leave mine and it unnerves me slightly. Without waiting for a response I bend down to grab my bags, grateful that nothing was broken. After gathering everything into one bag and reaching for the other bag my hand gets bumped away.

"I've got it." Gruff, throaty, and slightly annoyed, the stranger finally speaks.

"Thank you." I say quietly. Not a minute later he straightens as well and grabs my other grocery bag.

"Where do you live? I'll walk you." Those hazel eyes pierce my dark brown ones and I'm left momentarily speechless.
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So, this is my first posted chapter. I don't know who (if any) will read his but I hope you enjoy..